Image enhancement of photoacoustic imaging for early endometrial cancer detection by employing a filtered delay multiply and sum beamforming algorithm

Yongping Lin,Xiaoman Zhang,Zhifang Li,Rongsheng Zheng,Hui Li

doi:10.1063/1.5122891

Yongping Lin, Xiaoman Zhang + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5122891

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Abstract

In endometrial cancer, patients in early stages have a 91% 5-year survival chance. By contrast, patients in advanced stages have only 20% survival chance. Therefore, early diagnosis of endometrial cancer is very important. Photoacoustic imaging is able to distinguish benign from malignant tumors. However, the images acquired through photoacoustic imaging contain inherent artifacts, caused by imperfect reconstruction algorithms. In this paper, to improve the said images, a filtered delay-multiply-and-sum (F-DMAS) algorithm, which was proven to have an increased dynamic range and better quality of B-mode images was employed in the reconstruction process. First, the images of two blood vessel phantom experiments, acquired through photoacoustic imaging, were reconstructed by employing the F-DMAS algorithm. The results show the lateral resolutions of the system improving from 2.22 mm (with traditional photoacoustic imaging reconstruction algorithms) to 1.47 mm. Next, images of a pig uterus, filled with intralipid-20% emulsion, were also reconstructed by employing the F-DMAS algorithm. The average signal-to-noise ratio increased from 11.14 dB (with traditional photoacoustic imaging reconstruction algorithms) to 64.90 dB. In order to improve the continuity of the 3D PA image, F-DMAS with an adaptive coefficient was discussed to find the best balance between the signal-to-noise ratio and continuity. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates that the use of F-DMAS algorithms in the reconstruction of the images acquired through photoacoustic imaging in clinical investigations would improve the detection rate of early endometrial cancer.

Highlights

The results show the lateral resolutions of the system improving from 2.22 mm to 1.47 mm
In order to improve the continuity of the 3D PA image, filtered delay-multiply-and-sum (F-DMAS) with an adaptive coefficient was discussed to find the best balance between the signal-to-noise ratio and continuity
In endometrial cancer (EC), 382 069 new cases and 89 929 deaths worldwide were estimated in 2018.1 61 880 new cases and 12 160 deaths in the United States were estimated in 2019.2 EC is one of the most common gynecological cancers. 5-year overall survival ranges from 74% to 91% for EC at FIGO stages I or II

Summary

INTRODUCTION

In endometrial cancer (EC), 382 069 new cases and 89 929 deaths worldwide were estimated in 2018.1 61 880 new cases and 12 160 deaths in the United States were estimated in 2019.2 EC is one of the most common gynecological cancers. 5-year overall survival ranges from 74% to 91% for EC at FIGO stages I or II. To improve the quality of images reconstructed by employing DAS, Synnevag et al presented minimumvariance beamforming, which was used in medical ultrasound imaging.. To improve the quality of images reconstructed by employing DAS, Synnevag et al presented minimumvariance beamforming, which was used in medical ultrasound imaging.13,14 It increased the depth of penetration without sacrificing lateral resolution. The results show that the F-DMAS beamformer increased the dynamic range and produced better quality B-mode images This algorithm has been used in PA imaging, and tests have proved that it can effectively enhance the PA images in terms of sidelobe levels and resolution.. To improve the said images, the F-DMAS algorithm proposed by Matrone et al was employed in the reconstruction process for an early endometrial cancer detection system.

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